More cities explore big-drink bans

ATLANTA — Unlike Las Vegas, what happens in New York City doesn't always stay in New York City.

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By LEON STAFFORD

capecodtimes.com

By LEON STAFFORD

Posted Nov. 18, 2012 at 2:00 AM

By LEON STAFFORD

Posted Nov. 18, 2012 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

ATLANTA — Unlike Las Vegas, what happens in New York City doesn't always stay in New York City.

It spreads.

Just months after the Big Apple made it illegal to serve sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces in restaurants, movie theaters and delis, other cities also are considering putting restrictions on soft drinks, part of a multi-front effort to address American's growing obesity problem.

It's a move that, if it picks up steam, could rock the multi-billion-dollar industry. Carbonated drinks — for the most part, sodas — constitute almost half of the industry's business and almost 24 percent of drinks in movie theaters and restaurants.

That's left the beverage industry scrambling, sinking millions into media campaigns that portray the measures as Big Brother interfering in personal choice. The industry also has filed a lawsuit challenging New York's law and is stepping up its efforts to put calorie counts on vending machines and to offer sodas in smaller cans.

"The reality is the decision in New York that affirmed Mayor (Michael) Bloomberg probably gives mayors in other cities a way to make a statement like that," said Tim Mescon, an economist and president of Columbus State University.

Since 2009, municipalities across the nation and around the world have launched efforts to either tax or limit sugar-sweetened drinks in some public buildings, schools and even churches, according to the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

On any given day, about half of the population over the age of 2 consumes a sugary drink, according to a Centers for Disease Control report. At the same time, Americans are heavier now than ever. A recent report by Trust for America's Health found that, by 2030, the U.S. could have an adult obesity rate above 44 percent.

Members of Washington, D.C.'s City Council said in October that they may soon follow New York's lead with restrictions of their own. And Henrietta Davis, the mayor of Cambridge, Mass., proposed restrictions similar to New York's in June.

Leaders at Coca-Cola declined to comment on the latest efforts to curb the consumption of sodas, referring all questions to the American Beverage Association, the industry's lobbying arm. But in June, when Bloomberg announced the restrictions, Coca-Cola was quick to comment.

"New Yorkers expect and deserve better than this," the company said. "They can make their own choices about the beverages they purchase. We hope New Yorkers loudly voice their disapproval about this arbitrary mandate." Company representatives have met with Washington, D.C. officials to discuss their concerns about Coke products and its role in obesity.